16 May 2011

Snowflake Monday

Huron Peak, North Apostle and Ice Mountain from high on La Plata Peak
No matter how deep I dug, I could not find why Huron Peak was named after the Indian tribe that sided with the British during the War of 1812. So I guess I don't have to have a reason for naming this flake after Huron Peak.

Huron Peak is the second shortest 14er in Colorado, just three feet over the magic 14,000-foot mark. It is one of 15 14ers in the Sawatch Range, and from the summit is one of the best views of the Three Apostles, a rugged 13er threesome including Ice Mountain, which already has a snowflake named after it.

I climbed Huron in 2006, one of only two 14ers I got up that year. Because my back was healing much slower than I expected and hoped, I was beginning to give up my dream of one day climbing all the 14ers and had resorted to just shooting as many as I could. Huron, which is not easily seen from any roadway, provided not only the magnificent view of the Apostles, but also my first glimpses of nearby 14ers Missouri, Oxford and Belford.

While The Lizard ran the ridge and collected five summits, I slowly made my way back down the mountain and took the Gunnison Spur to try to capture the Apostles reflecting in beaver ponds near the ghost town of Hamilton. The crisp blue sky and early September green that day reminded me a little of the bright blue and green in this snowflake. So perhaps I had a good reason for naming this snowflake after all!

You may do whatever you'd like with snowflakes you make from this pattern, but you may not sell or republish the pattern. Thanks, and enjoy!


Finished Size: 7.25 inches from point to point
Materials: Size 10 crochet thread, size 8 crochet hook, empty pizza box, wax paper or plastic wrap, cellophane tape, glue, water, glitter, small container for glue/water mixture, paintbrush, stick pins that won't be used later for sewing, clear thread or fishing line

Huron Peak Snowflake Instructions

Make magic ring.

Round 1: Ch 9 (counts as 1 dc and ch 6), 1 dc in ring, *ch 6, 1 dc in ring; repeat from *3 times; ch 3, 1 dc in 3rd ch of starting ch 9 (ch 3 and dc counts as final ch 6, and you will be working over the dc post in Round 2). Pull magic circle tight, but leave opening big enough to allow stitches inside it to lay flat.

Round 2: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 2 dc over post of final dc worked in Round 1, 1 hdc around same post, 1 sc around same post, *1 sc in next ch 6 sp, 1 hdc in same sp, 3 dc in same sp, ch 3, 3 dc in same sp, 1 hdc in same sp, 1 sc in same sp; repeat from * around 4 times; 1 sc in next ch 6 sp, 1 hdc in same sp, 3 dc in same sp, ch 1, 1 dc in 3rd ch of starting ch 3 (ch 1 and 1 dc count as final ch 3).

Round 3: 1 sc around post of dc just worked, *ch 10, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 5, 1 dtr in starting sc (ch 1 and 1 dtr count as final ch 10, and you will be working over dtr post in Round 4).

Round 4: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc) 2 dc over dtr post just worked, 3 hdc over same post, 3 sc over same post, *3 sc in next ch 10 sp, 3 hdc in same sp, 3 dc in same sp, ch 3, 3 dc in same sp, 3 hdc in same sp, 3 sc in same sp; repeat from * around 4 times; 3 sc in next ch 10 sp, 3 hdc in same sp, 3 dc in same sp, ch 1, 1 dc in 3rd ch of starting ch 3.

Round 5: 1 sc around post of dc just worked, *ch 16, 1 sc in next ch 3 sp; repeat from * around 4 times; ch 16, sl st in starting sc.
If you're not reading this pattern on Snowcatcher, you're not reading the designer's blog. Please go here to see the original.

Round 6: *3 sc in next ch 16 sp, 3 hdc in same sp, 6 dc in same sp, ch 3, 1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, ch 5, 1 sc in 5th ch from hook, ch 6, sl st in sc, ch 4, sl st in sc, ch 3, s1 dc in 3rd ch from hook, 6 dc in same ch 16 sp, 3 hdc in same sp, 3 sc in same sp; repeat from * around 5 times; sl st in starting sc; bind off. Weave in ends.

Finish: Tape wax paper or plastic wrap to top of empty pizza box. Pin snowflake to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap.

Mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap. Attach 10-inch clear thread to one spoke, weaving in end. Wrap fishing line around tree branch (or tape to ceiling or any overhead surface) and watch the snowflake twirl freely whenever you walk by! Snowflake also may be taped to window or tied to doorknob or cabinet handle.
Gold on Huron

10 comments :

  1. Love the colour! I'd call it "Lake Huron Snowflake" ! Hmmm.....a whole new set of snowflakes named after the lakes....wouldn't that be interesting? :) Have a great week my friend!

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  2. I love what variegated yarn does in small crochet pieces. It looks planned even when it isn't. This one is great.

    Thanks for always including mountain pictures and some history. One of the few things I miss from SoCal is having mountains within view (at least when the smog blew away or it rained). There's something so satisfying and and calming and uplifting all at the same time about looking at mountains. Maybe because they're so big and we're so small they tend to put things in perspective? It's hard to look away.

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  3. That is so pretty. I wonder what a snowflake hat would look like? I love the colors you used.

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  4. Hi there! So nice to "meet" another crafty cycling blogger. I think your mileage is rather higher than mine, I probably average 20 - 25 miles per run once a week but I'm hoping to add an extra 10 miles or so per week towing my son in the trailer while my daughter's at school now that it's late spring (here's hoping the weather improves, we've just had a very rainy and cold week).
    Love your snowflakes.
    Anne.

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  5. Great blog. Enough said. :)

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  6. What great views! You lucky!!Your snowflakes are beautiful, also. Do you think you could design a snowflake that would look like queen anne's lace? One of your cute baby pink snowflakes brought that flower to mind...anyway..thanks for this great blog,now that i have found it i will follow it and tell my girlfriends about it.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Virginia!

      I wrote a pattern for a Queen Anne's lace-inspired snowflake scarf, but I guess it doesn't look like the flower. Photos such as this one are inspiring. I'll have to see what I can come up with.

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  7. A zillion thanks for the pictures of the queen anne's lace. The one taken from the underside is magnificent! I had a whole slide show of all the wildflowers from a walk taken in a meadow (in Kansas i think) but lost it during one of my laptops hissy-fits. Queen anne's lace has been my favorite since i was 5 and lived with my gram back in Ohio. Unfortunately i live in San antonio ,texas now, and i have seen tiny queen annes flowers twice, and milk-weed once in over 20 years...we have talked about moving north,but talk and doing are 2 different things with my taller half .I also want to say the scarf is beautiful, i will give it a try as soon as the cast is off my left wrist. Before i say Adious...i want the booklet with the snowflake patterns, in whose name do i/kevin make the pledge? Is it Snowcatcher??Hope you have a blessed weekend. gentle blessings, vickey.

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  8. Thanks, Vickey! I'm trying to see if I can work up a Queen Anne's lace snowflake, thanks to your inspiration. I appreciate MS donations, too. You may donate in either my name or my husband's any time before about the middle of December, which is when the NMSS shuts down the site in preparation for the next year (and likely closing out their books for tax purposes).

    ReplyDelete


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